Скачать или смотреть How to Sort Directories by Last Modified Content in CentOS 7

This guide explains how to effectively sort directories by their last modified content on CentOS 7 using the command line. Discover step-by-step guidance for achieving the desired results.
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Sorting Directories by Last Modified Content in CentOS 7

When working with files and directories in Unix-based systems like CentOS 7, you may encounter the need to keep track of changes by sorting directories based on their last modified time. By default, while using the ls -lt command, directories are typically sorted by creation time rather than modification time of the contents within them. This can lead to confusion if you expect directories to be listed based on the last modification of their files. In this post, we will dive into the solution to this common problem.

The Problem

The underlying issue arises when you create or modify files within directories. As seen in the example below, newly created directories are ordered correctly based on when they were created, but when files inside these directories are modified, the order does not reflect the changes:

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After modifying the file in dir1, although the file's modification timestamp shows it was edited at a later time, ls -lt does not sort the directories based on this criteria.

The Solution

To sort directories based on the last modified time of their contents, we can leverage the find command combined with sort. The syntax to achieve this is as follows:

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Breaking it Down:

Using the find Command:

find .: This starts the search from the current directory (.).

-type d: Filters the results to include only directories.

-printf "%Ts/%f\n": This prints the last modification time of each directory in epoch format (%Ts) along with the directory name (%f). The epoch time is a useful format for numeric sorting.

Sorting the Output:

| sort -n: This pipes the output from the find command to sort, which organizes the results numerically based on the epoch timestamps.

Example Usage

To demonstrate the above commands in context, you would navigate to your target directory in the terminal and run the command. After running the sort, you will have a neatly organized list of directories sorted by their last modification time:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Benefits

Accurate Order: This method provides an accurate list of directories sorted based on when their contents were last modified, aiding in managing and tracking changes effectively.

Flexibility: You can modify the find command options to filter for specific directories or ages of files based on their modification time.

Conclusion

Sorting directories by the last modified content can significantly enhance your workflow in Unix-based systems like CentOS 7. By employing the find command in combination with sort, you can easily gain insights into which directories have undergone changes, thus maintaining a more organized file system. Next time you modify files within a directory, keep this method in mind to quickly sort and assess your work!

Feel free to experiment with the commands provided, and don't hesitate to reach out if you encounter any issues or have further questions. Happy sorting!